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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · bear · track · suit · jam · pass · wax · file

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. file — a tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. suit — in cards
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a path
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com